We like generational labels. Tom Brokaw once called those who lived through WWII "The Greatest Generation" and the label stuck. Very nicely done, Mr. Brokaw.
Then sociologists jumped in hoping for their 15 minutes of fame with titles for other age brackets, such as Generation X, Generation Y, the DINK Generation (Double Income, No Kids), and even Boeing couldn't resist the urge, naming their newest iteration of 737 airliner the 737 NexGen, or NG. All this has left me very confused. What generation am I? I propose that I'm part of The Impatient Generation, and in fact I'm the Mayor of Impatientville. No, make that President of ImpatientLand. Or even better, King of ImpatientUniverse.
I stand in front of a microwave oven and yell, "HURRY UP, DAMMIT!" There's always someone in my way, whether it's on the highway or in the grocery store check-out line. MOVE, PEOPLE! CHOP CHOP! To me, a green light means GO, not "I think I'll soon be moving my foot over to the tall, skinny pedal on the far right, where I might exert some gentle downward pressure on it in the hopes of making the 400 HP vehicle I'm driving lurch forward ever-so-slightly." No, patience is not one of my virtues.
Why do I bring this up now? Because this morning I fired up my trusty Apple computer and it said, "Updates available. Do you want to install them now?" Um, sure, why not? BIG MISTAKE! The process began and said it would take three minutes. My ass! Try double that. Grrrrr. Then it had to write some new program and install it, or something like that. Then the screen went blank. Then I had to push the start button and watch the Colored Wheel of Death spin round and round and round and.... Finally, here I am.
Why do they ask you when you turn your computer ON if you want to install updates? If I'm turning ON my computer I'm wanting to perform some search RIGHT NOW. That's why I'm turning it ON. If I wanted to search for something 15 minutes from now I'd turn it ON 15 minutes from now. DUH!
Why don't they ask you when you're turning your computer OFF if you want to install updates? Then it could take it's sweet time....all night, even....and I could care less. Maybe this makes too much sense for the Geeks who run ComputerWorld. Am I alone on this? ;)
S
I only turn my computer off when I go on vacation or I'm going to be away for a few days. Of course I execute the updates whenever they appear. The computer hibernates if you leave it alone. I think impatience comes with age. Speaking for myself, I'm much less patient now than I was in my thirties and forties.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Scott, except mine is a PC, not an Apple.
ReplyDeleteif it ASKS you if you want to update, then there must be the option to say "no, not now, later". I have to take my apple to my daughter's home when doing updates, together with my iphone. With my slow dsl one update said 7 hours to update (my villiage needs new cables desperately), at my daughter's it took only 20 minutes! Luckily she lives only 10 minutes away....
ReplyDeleteDorrie...."Not now" is an option offered, but if I choose that it just pops up again WHEN I TURN IT ON LATER. I'm right back to where I began. Why not offer "click here when you're ready to update"? Then I can choose the time it's convenient for me.
ReplyDeleteMy HP DOES install updates when I turn it off - but I have about forty-eleven OTHER programs that want to be updated when I turn it on. Gnashing my teeth here...
ReplyDelete